What the devil!

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SKINNY-DIPPING in the freezing Southern Ocean is not for
everyone, but Tasmanian naturists are lobbying local councils to
approve the state's first nudist beach in time for summer.

The Southern Tasmanian Association of Nudists (STAN) this week
called on councils to consider the proposal as a further boost to
tourism in the state.

A STAN spokesman, who asked to be known as Kelvin, said
Tasmania's chilly temperatures did not deter the state's growing
clan of nudists, which officially numbers about 100.

"You get a nice sunny day (in Tasmania) and it's Christmas in
the Whitsundays," he said.

Kelvin said the group often fielded inquiries from tourists
seeking nudist facilities, but STAN members used private properties
to indulge in their naked interests.

STAN's nudist beach push received backing from the Tasmanian
Government and police in 2000, but no council would allow it. "It's
not illegal to be nude in Tasmania provided we have the sanction of
the council involved, and we haven't got that yet," Kelvin
said.

But STAN's dedicated band will not be cowed. They recently held
a nude function in the state's northern snowfields.